Calls for extra DVLA eyesight checks after Southport pensioners death

The family of a pensioner who died after being knocked down by a car driven by someone with bad eyesight is calling for extra DVLA eyesight checks.

Marie Cunningham was hit and killed along with her friend Grace Foulds whilst crossing a road in 2021.

68-year-old Glyn Jones had ignored advice from experts for a decade that he wasn't fit to drive after being diagnosed with a condition affecting his sight.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that on Tuesday 30th November 2021, an Audi A3 was being driven by Glyn Jones along Lulworth Road towards Southport town centre when it collided with 79-year-old Marie Cunningham and 85-year-old Grace Foulds who were crossing the road.

Both women were taken to hospital with multiple catastrophic injuries and both sadly died that evening.

Jones later failed a roadside eye test and it emerged that he had not notified DVLA that he suffered from a medical condition that affected his eyesight and his ability to safely drive a vehicle.

Marie's son, Terry, now wants the law changed so that it's not up to individuals to notify the DVLA of a condition.

"We really need to get behind a campaign now... to get ophthalmologists and to get consultants to report these people to the DVLA", he said.

Speaking outside court following Jones being jailed, Terry wants more onus on experts to step in: "Your car goes into an MOT, and the garage tells the DVLA whether your car is fit for purpose or not. Seemingly eyesight doesn't have that correlation".

"It shouldn't be up to the individual to tell the DVLA that there is a problem. It should be up to the expert who's diagnosing that to say 'you are not fit to drive'"

Jones, of Blackgate Lane, Tarleton pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing, and was jailed for seven years and fourth months. He was also disqualified from driving for nine years and 10 months.